Flap opener for cartons



May 1953 A. w. LIPPMANN ET AL 2,637,958

FLAP OPENER FOR CARTONS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 31 1951 INVENTORS ARTHUR W.LIPPMANN EDMUND E.LlPPMANN A TORNEYS y 1953 A. w. LIPPMANN ET AL FLAP OPENER FOR CARTONS Filed July 51 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS T ARTHUR W.LIPPMANN EDMUND ELIPPMANN ATTORNEYS Q y 1953 A. w. LlP PMANN ET AL FLAP OPENER FOR CARTONS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 31, 1951 INVENTORS ARTHUR W. LIPPM ANN EDMUND E.LIPP

ATTORNEYS Patented May 12, 1953 Arthur W. Lihpman'n an Milwaukee, Wis, assi nearing Works, Milw d Edmund E..Lippmann,

gnors to Lippmann Engl aukee, Wis., :a partnership Application July 31, 1951, Serial 140,239,528

tclaims. 1

This invention appertains to the filling of cartons with articles, and more particularly to means for carrying the cartons to and from a carton filling machine. The carton filling machine can be of any type but is preferably of the character shown in our pending application for patent, Serial Number 644,622, filed January 31, 1946, now '0'. Patent No. 2,579,237, patented December 18, 1951.

One of the primary objects of our present in-- vention is to provide a novel and simple means for automatically opening the flaps-of a carton the carton reaches the filling station and for holilihg the flaps "in their openpo'sition until the carton has been filled and is moved oastthe filling station.

Another salient object of the invention is the provision or an endless carrier having carton holding means thereon traveling in a step-bystep movement past a filling station, and a novel fiat spreading, stationary shoe arranged for fully opening the side flaps and one end flap a the carton reaches the filling station, with means automatically operable by the endless carrier for opening the remaining ehol flap after this flap has passe'cl the stationary shoe.

A further im ortant object of the invention, is the provisioh of a novel flap spreading device for cartons which will be extremely durable and efficient in use, and one that can he manufac- 'tured and placed upon the market for use with a. carton filling machine, at a minimum cost.

'Wi-th these and other-objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, a1

rang'ement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan View of the carton conveyor, with the novel carton flap spreading means incorporated therewith, parts of the figure being shown broken away and in section to illustrate structural detail, one of the carbons being shown at the filling station with the side flaps and one end has swung open.

Figure '2 is a fragmentary side elevational View of the carton conveyor, with the flap spreading means, parts of the figure being shown in secnon, the parts in section being taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure '3 is a transverse sectional View through the machine taken on "the line 3- 3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction'of the arrows and showihg thefiap-spreadingshoe.

2 Figure 4 is a i-view similar to Figure t, but taken on the line i-'t of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows and shovvin'gthe finger for opening the end flap not infected by the shoe.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponciing parts throughout the several views, the

letter (I generally indicates an endless -'c'cnveyor and F the novel flap spreading and opening means.

The conveyor i3 comprises a base frame, pi'eb erably formed from spaced parallel longitudinall extending channel iheams 5 and =6. The chanhcl beams are rigidly connected together in any desired manner, such as by transverse brace 'bars 1. Supporting standards ii "are rigidly secured to the beams 5 and t forsupporting the beams at the desired height, Mounted for traveling movement on the'frame is the endless carrier 9, which can consist of pairs of sprocket chains til trained around sprocket wheels i i. The sprocket wheel's Ii are keyed or otherwise secured to a transversely extending shaft l2, 'rotatably mounted in bearings it mounted on the channel beams 5 and ,1 ii. The shaft it can oe considered as a driven shaft for actuating the endless carrier c. The pairs of sprocket chains it carry at equidistantly spaced points, carton gripping anti carrying flights M. The flights it embody upstanding lugs l5 and facing lugs are carried 'by each chain of the pairs of chains it, so that a carton will be held adjacent to its opposite ends "and "at spaced points. The lugs F5 are formed on bases it which are riveted or otherwise secured to cortain-links of the sprocket chains, and it is to he noted that the bases extend a considerable clie- 'tahce beyond their attaching points to provide feet it which rest on the chains "for preventing tiltin of the lugs l5 on the chains. However, the construction is such that as the chains travel about the rocket wheels I i, the lugs can easily move about the contour "of the sprocket wheels. As stated, the cartons are held by the lugs to and these cartons-are indicated by the "reference character l8. The-cartons are of a type now commonly found on the market and can be formed from any material, such as corrugated hoard, and in setting up the cartons one end thereof is closed and the other end is left open. Each open end of the carton, includes side flaps to and end flaps 20 and 2t, and these flaps are manually pulled outwardly to a position shown in the-left hand side of Figures '1 and -2. v To hold "the cartons against lateral shifting on the conveyor and to'hold the closed ends of the cartons against opening movement in case they are freshly sealed, a longitudinally extendil'lg guard rail 22 is provided. This guard rail 22, is rigidly fastened to the channel beam by spaced supporting arms 23.

The conveyor is operated in any approved manner in a step-by-step fashion, past a filling station 24, and the step-by-step movement of the conveyor is timed so that the conveyor will stop with the open end of a carton facing the filling station for a certain interval of time.

At the filling station 24 is disposed a filling throat or chute 25 carried by a supporting table 26. The table and the chute or throat are arranged transversely of the line of travel of the conveyor and at one side thereof. The table 26 is carried by standards 21, which are rigidly fastened to the channel beam 6. The chute or throat 25 corresponds in cross section to the shape and size of the carton in cross section and the chuteor throat includes side walls 28 and 29, and a bottom wall 38. The side wall 28 and the bottom wall 3? can be formed together and the side wall is secured to a reinforcing web v3| which is also bolted or otherwise fastened to the table'iii. The side wall 29 is securely fastened to a reinforcing web 32 which is adjustable within certain limits on the table 26. This can be accomplished by slotting the base of the web 32, as at 33, for the reception of headed set screws 34, which pass through the slots and into the table.

During the travel of the conveyor, and as a carton approaches the filling station, the flaps l9 and the fiap 29 are forced back toward the body of the carton in a novel manner so that when the carton reaches the filling station, the fiaps will be out of the way to receive the articles being moved into the carton. The means for opening out the fiaps includes a novel fiap spreading shoe 35, which projects laterally from the table 26 toward an approaching carton and in the path of the projecting flaps of a carton. The shoe includes upper and lower fiap spreading rails 36 and 37. The rails 36 and 3'! incline inwardly toward one another, and are connected together by an outwardly inclined plate 38. The plate 38 lies substantially at a point intermediate the top and bottom walls of a carton and between the side flaps I9 thereof.

Now considering that a carton i8 is approaching the filling station, the leading pointed terminal of the shoe will initially engage the end fiap 2|, see Figures 1 and 2, and move this flap to the left, or over the end of the carton. Upon continued movement of the conveyor and carton, the side fiaps I9 will engage and travel over the inclined rails 36 and 31 which will effectively swing back or out, these flaps and when the flap 20 reaches the plate 38, this fiap will be moved to the left and away from the open end of the carton. When the carton reaches the filling station, the fiaps l9 will be held by the rails in their spread position, as with the flap 29, but the flap 2| will have moved past the shoe and is left free. Means is provided for automatically engaging and pulling back the flap 2| to its wide open spread position, so that articles can be effectively moved into the carton.

The means for pulling open the flap 2| includes a reciprocating rod 39 guided in its traveling movement by rollers 49 mounted on the rail 36. The inner end of the rod 39- has formed thereon a depending leg 4|, and secured to this leg is an inwardly directed flap engaging finger 42, This rod 39 is moved back and forth in the followin manner. Rigidly secured to the channel beam 6 adjacent to the shaft I2 is a bracket 43. Rockably mounted upon the bracket is a bell crank 44. The outer end of one arm of the bell crank is operatively connected, as at 45 to the rod 39. The outer end of the other arm of the bell crank has rotatably mounted thereon a roller 49 disposed in the path of a crank 41, keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft l2. During rotation of the shaft |2 and upon each revolution thereof, the crank 41 will engage the roller 46 and rock the crank to the left (see Figure 2), and the finger 42 will be moved into the throat or chute past the fiap 2|. A contractile coil spring 48 connects the bar 39 with the bracket 43 and the spring is placed under tension, when the bar 39 moves to the left. Consequently, as soon as the crank 41 rides past the roller 46, the spring 48 will move the bar 39 back to its normal position to the right. The finger 42 will engage the inner surface of the flap 2|, and hence pull this flap to a wide open position.

It is again pointed out that the parts are so timed that when a carton reaches the filling station, the finger 42 will swing back the carton flap 2| so that the carton can be filled, and after the lapse of a certain interval of time, the carton will be carried past the filling station and the filled carton can then be removed from the conveyor and the flaps sealed.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that I have provided a very simple means for spreading outwardly, the flaps of a carton to facilitate the loading of a carton with the desired articles.

Changes in details may be made, without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention, but what we claim as new is:

1. A device for spreading out the sealing flaps of cartons, as the cartons reach a filling station comprising an endless conveyor traveling past a fillin station, means on the conveyor for supporting carton with the flaps of the cartons at one side of the conveyor projecting outwardly from the bodies of the cartons, a filling throat at the filling station disposed at one side of the conveyor and transversely thereof, a shoe projecting laterally from one side of the throat extending longitudinally of the conveyor and including side flap spreading rails inclining toward one another and disposed in the path of the flaps during movement of the conveyor, an inclining end flap spreading plate connecting the outer ends of the rails, a movable finger for spreading out a carton end flap, mean for operatin said finger including a reciprocating rod carried by the finger, spring means urging the rod and the finger in one direction away from a carton, and a conveyor actuated crank periodically actuating the rod toward a carton against the tension of said spring means.

2. A device for spreading out the sealing flaps of cartons, as the cartons reach a filling station, comprising an endless conveyor, means on the conveyor for holding cartons at spaced points, a frame, a filling throat at one side of the conveyor, the cartons on the conveyor having open flaps at one end for movement past the throat, the cartons having their opposite ends sealed, a guide rail rigidly carried by the frame engaging the sealed ends of the cartons to prevent lateral shifting of the cartons on the conveyor, a fiap spreading shoe rigidly carried by the frame including upper and lower side flap spreading, rails adapted to engage the side flaps of the carton as the carton approaches the throat, said rails including inwardly directed inclined portions, an end flap opening plate rigidly connecting said portions together so that upon movement of a carton past the shoe to the throat the side flaps will be spread by the rails and one end flap will be spread. by the plate, means for spreading the other end flap when the carton reaches the throat, said means for spreading out the last mentioned end flap of a carton including a reciprocating bar mounted on the frame, a laterally projecting finger on the bar movable past the open end of the carton for engaging the last mentioned end flap, spring means normally holding the bar and finger away from the throat and a carton disposed at the throat, a crank arm rockaloly mounted on the frame, means operatively connecting the crank arm to the bar, a crank secured to and rotatable with the shaft for periodically actuating the bell crank.

3. A device for spreading out the sealing flaps of cartons, as the cartons reach a filling station comprising an endless conveyor traveling past a filling station, means on the conveyor for supporting cartons with the flaps of the cartons at one side of the conveyor projecting outwardly from the bodies of the cartons, a filling throat at the filling station disposed at one sid of the conveyor and transversely thereof, a shoe projecting laterally from one side of the throat extending longitudinally of the conveyor and including side flap spreading rails inclining toward one another and disposed in the path of the flaps during movement of the conveyor, an inclining end flap spreading plate connecting the outer ends of the rails, and a movable finger on the other side of the throat and movable in front of the throat for spreading out an end flap of the carton as the carton reaches the filling throat.

ARTHUR W. LIPPMANN. EDMUND E. LIPPMANN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 907,790 Hancock Dec. 29, 1908 961,845 Cullom June 21, 1910 1,489,134 Ladd Apr. 1, 1924 1,844,661 Kimball et a1. Feb. 9, 1932 1,991,223 Ledig et a1. Feb. 12, 1935 2,358,292 Malhiot Sept. 12, 1944 

